An agency that fights poverty across Steuben County is stepping up its efforts in the City of Corning and a handful of other communities in light of alarming statistics.

Turning Point, a service of Catholic Charities of Steuben County, was founded in Bath in 1997 as a collaboration among various churches, the United Way, the Steuben County Department of Social Services, and other not-for-profit groups.

The agency started offering satellite poverty-related services in Corning in 2006 and Hornell in 2007.

Originally, Turning Point had a representative who met with residents at the Corning food pantry and could help connect them with various community resources.

But the agency rethought that approach in light of statistics that revealed how profound the problem of poverty is in Corning.

"There was a 2016 census done by the Institute for Human Services, highlighting some shocking statistics," said Lynda Lowin, Turning Point director. "What we're seeing is that in the City of Corning, along with the towns of Bradford, Jasper, Troupsburg, Tuscarora and Woodhull, one-third of the residents or more are at or below the poverty level. It caused us to re-examine how we were providing services, and accessing folks who may not have transportation."

A greater percentage of senior citizens living in the City of Corning fall below the poverty line than seniors around the rest of the county, Lowin said.

In response to the new statistics, Turning Point took two steps.

It moved its Corning location to the Corning Senior Center, which provides greater access to elderly residents who are often on fixed incomes, and it started a mobile outreach program for people who may not be able to get to the office on their own.

Buy Photo

Rosa Burd(Photo: Jeff Murray / Staff photo)

"With our mobile service, we can hop in our vehicle. If someone says 'I'm in Addison,' I hop in my car and go to meet them at a public place like the community center there," said Corning site coordinator Rosa Burd. "We try to get people access to services. It takes a lot of creative thinking."

When someone comes to Turning Point for help, the first step is to find out what public benefits they may qualify for, Lowin said.

After that, Turning Point can offer financial assistance to fill in some of the gaps, and can also refer people to a network of other human-service agencies in the area, she said.

Turning Point gets its funding from a variety of sources, including the United Way, grants from various corporate foundations, individual donations and fundraisers.

The agency will hold a fundraising event called STEPS (Steps To End Poverty in Steuben) Walk on Saturday in downtown Corning. Registration will start at 9 a.m., and the one-mile walk will start from Centerway Square at 10.

As it looks to the future, Turning Point hopes to expand its mobility to better serve the residents of Corning and Steuben County who are on the cusp — mostly the working poor who make too much to qualify for government benefits but not enough to get by.

"Steuben County is the size of Rhode Island. The needs of its people vary," Lowin said. "The basic needs remain the same. Some people need food, they need shelter, electricity, medications. If we were to have a true mobile presence in the future, I think we would find diverse areas of the community that would want to invite us to come and help."